Source: http://www.freetoplay.tv/news/are-you-a-pro-league-of-legends-player/
If you’re a Pro League of Legends player, you are now classified as a Professional Athlete in the USA.
If anyone thought League of Legends was already a monster, it’s now evolved. As many MOBAs wither away and are terminated to an abyss of nothingness, League of Legends simply continues to grow, and grow, and grow, with no end in sight. The juggernaut has reached two new pinnacles, one-upping itself with achievements. It has now been announced that any and all Pro League of Legends Players are now classified as Professional Athletes. What does this classification from the US government actually mean?
Its biggest benefit is that any Pro League of Legends player will now be issued visas. With the visas, it is now extremely easier for Riot Games and eSport leagues to create tournaments as international players will essentially be able to enter the USA to work in the country underneath the title. A pondering I have, and have yet to know the answer to, is what exactly defines someone as a Pro League of Legends player. It holds potential dangers in of itself..
In a video interview with GameSpot, Riot Games’ eSports manager Nick Allen spoke about the new classification being “groundbreaking for eSports.” And how organizing international tournaments would now be a “a much easier process, because [players] are actually recognized by the government. This is a huge thing.“
I still cannot believe this, and honestly, I’m filled with a tinge of of shock, but I’m very hopeful that this also means an evolution for eSports in general. Hopefully this development simply marks a brighter future for all of eSports in the future, not being relegated only to League of Legends. It will be interesting to see how this all turns out. What do you think about this new classification? If you’re filled with rage/shock, in the USA, even bowlers are classified as Professional Athletes, so that may be something to keep in mind as eSports just received its largest “legitimizing” tool ever!
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Personally I think this is a huge step for eSports and gaming. This allows international players to compete on US soil in tournaments here. That will bring revenue to new areas, media to cover the games, and hopefully a new outlook on gaming as a whole.
If you’re a Pro League of Legends player, you are now classified as a Professional Athlete in the USA.
If anyone thought League of Legends was already a monster, it’s now evolved. As many MOBAs wither away and are terminated to an abyss of nothingness, League of Legends simply continues to grow, and grow, and grow, with no end in sight. The juggernaut has reached two new pinnacles, one-upping itself with achievements. It has now been announced that any and all Pro League of Legends Players are now classified as Professional Athletes. What does this classification from the US government actually mean?
Its biggest benefit is that any Pro League of Legends player will now be issued visas. With the visas, it is now extremely easier for Riot Games and eSport leagues to create tournaments as international players will essentially be able to enter the USA to work in the country underneath the title. A pondering I have, and have yet to know the answer to, is what exactly defines someone as a Pro League of Legends player. It holds potential dangers in of itself..
In a video interview with GameSpot, Riot Games’ eSports manager Nick Allen spoke about the new classification being “groundbreaking for eSports.” And how organizing international tournaments would now be a “a much easier process, because [players] are actually recognized by the government. This is a huge thing.“
I still cannot believe this, and honestly, I’m filled with a tinge of of shock, but I’m very hopeful that this also means an evolution for eSports in general. Hopefully this development simply marks a brighter future for all of eSports in the future, not being relegated only to League of Legends. It will be interesting to see how this all turns out. What do you think about this new classification? If you’re filled with rage/shock, in the USA, even bowlers are classified as Professional Athletes, so that may be something to keep in mind as eSports just received its largest “legitimizing” tool ever!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Personally I think this is a huge step for eSports and gaming. This allows international players to compete on US soil in tournaments here. That will bring revenue to new areas, media to cover the games, and hopefully a new outlook on gaming as a whole.
